Keeping your home gas-safe:
This section of our website provides advice on staying gas-safe, including how to look after your gas appliances, your gas safety responsibilities, carbon monoxide, and details on the annual gas safety checks we need to carry out in your property.
You can also watch our short video below for an overview.
Follow these gas safety tips to keep your home safe:
- Make sure you know where your gas meter is located and how to turn off the gas supply in the event of an emergency.
- Never cover an appliance such as a boiler or gas fire or block the air vents.
- Never block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or airbricks.
- Never block or cover outside flues.
- Never fit draught exclusion strips to doors of a room that contains a gas appliance.
- Never use a gas appliance if you think it’s not working properly.
Your gas safety responsibilities:
You must allow us access to your home to complete your annual gas safety check. It’s a legal requirement for a gas safety check to take place in your home.
If you don’t allow us access, you’ll be in breach of your Tenancy Agreement and we’ll take legal action. This could result in you losing your home.
If you employ anyone to carry out gas work in your home, you must ensure that they are a registered Gas Engineer. You must never attempt to do any gas related work or repairs yourself.
Not only could you be breaking the law, but any work you carry out could be life threatening for you and your neighbours.
Carbon monoxide (CO):
If you have a faulty gas appliance, it can be dangerous and produce carbon monoxide (CO) gas. This is a colourless and odourless gas, which can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, and loss of consciousness.
Exposure to carbon monoxide can also be fatal, so you should seek medical advice immediately if you have these symptoms.
Your property will have a carbon monoxide alarm installed by us in any room with a fixed combustion unit, excluding gas cookers. We’ll service these alarms every year as part of your annual gas safety check.
If any person sleeps in a living room or dining room on a regular basis with an open flame fire (such as gas or coal), then please make us aware of the change of use of this room in order for us to carry out a safety check.
About our annual gas safety checks:
As your landlord, we have a legal duty to ensure that all gas appliances, fittings, and flues owned by us and provided for your use are safe. This includes things like central heating, boilers, and gas fires.
To do this, we need to carry out an annual gas safety check or gas service using registered Gas Engineers. We will notify you in writing when your gas safety check is due and to arrange an appointment.
It is a condition of your Tenancy Agreement to allow us access to carry out gas safety checks and servicing.
What can I expect from you (Be One Homes)?
You'll get a letter containing details of your gas safety appointment. If you aren't going to be in and you'd like to rearrange your appointment, please contact us using the number on your letter.
Do you offer out of hours appointments?
Yes. We also work Saturdays, 8am to 8.30pm, and weekday evenings from 4pm to 8.30pm.
What happens on the day of the appointment?
One of our gas operatives will attend wearing their ID badge. The annual gas safety check will include testing of all required gas appliances, pipe work, flues, carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in your home.
We'll provide you with a copy of your gas safety certificate within 28 days of the check being completed.
Please note that we'll only carry out visual inspections on your own gas appliances (e.g. gas cookers). We will not work on your appliances.
How long does it take to do all the checks?
The appointment will be between 30 minutes to one hour. This depends on how many gas appliances are in the property.
Will I get a certificate?
You'll be handed an electronic device to sign your name, then we'll supply you with a new updated certificate to show that you are now gas safe.
You can expect your certificate to arrive in the post within 28 days.
What happens if an appliance fails the safety check?
The gas safety record will contain details of any problems found at the time of the inspection, and any action that has been taken.
If an appliance fails the safety check, it may be necessary to disconnect it. Our engineer will make the appliance safe whilst on site in this circumstance. We'll then contact you to discuss and agree any further actions and when we'll complete them.
If one of the appliances that you own is faulty, we'll disconnect it and advise you to seek help from a qualified Gas Engineer.
What if I have a gas supply, but no gas appliances in my property?
If you have a gas supply meter fitted in your property, but do not have any gas appliances, we'll still need to inspect the pipework inside your home.
Is the gas safety check free of charge?
Yes, this is a free service - but it must be carried out in your home each year.
Why do you have to carry out gas safety checks?
All landlords are legally required to carry out annual gas safety checks on gas installations — this includes all landlord-owned gas appliances.
What happens if I miss my appointment?
We understand that sometimes appointments are missed. If you've missed yours, please contact us to request another appointment using the number on your letter.
As this is a legal requirement, if we can't gain access — and after we've exhausted all reasonable steps — we may have to apply for a warrant to ask the courts to help us gain access. Once granted, this means we can access the property to ensure the gas installation is made safe and often results in changing your locks.
To prevent any court or bailiff actions, it's really important that you contact us to make another appointment.
What happens if a bailiff comes to my property?
Once granted, this means we can access the property to ensure the gas installation is made safe. It'll often result in locks needing to be changed.
If you're present, we will carry out the annual gas safety check.
If you aren't present, we will make the installation safe by isolating the gas supply.
If we need to apply for a warrant via the courts, it's possible that the cost of fees will be passed on to you as our customer. These could be court fees or our own fees, including bailiff costs.
Compressed gas:
Unless for medical reasons, you must not use or store compressed gas within your home.
Gas in cylinders can become a major hazard in a fire and must always be stored safely. If you are required to use and store compressed gas for medical reasons (such as oxygen), you must inform us and the Fire and Rescue Service.
We may install signage to notify the Fire and Rescue Service that oxygen is present at the property.
You can arrange a free Home Fire Safety Check with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) to discuss the safe storage of compressed gas. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions when using or storing compressed gas.
Have you downloaded your Home Safety Guide?
These guides contain information to help keep you and others safe, covering several areas such as Fire Safety and Asbestos.
We’ve created two versions: one for houses, and one for flats.
Please remember that these guides do not replace your Tenancy Agreement, which details your duties, as well as your rights as a tenant, and our duties as a landlord.
